Recent Chemical Engineering graduate Dave Chue loves taking selfies with his girlfriend, so much that he decided to create the ultimate app for selfie lovers. After noticing what a major inconvenience it was to take a selfie with the back camera, he came up with a solution.

Meet SaySelfiee, a distinctive app built with voice guide, auto-snap and face recognition features that teach users how to take the greatest selfies. Co-founded by Dave and his brother Joel, SaySelfiee is packed with six magnificent features that make you an “instant selfie star”.

The project is also one of the top contenders at Starhub’s crowdfunding site Crowdtivate, Let’s dive in to find out more about Dave and the ins and outs of creating the selfie app!

Co-founder Dave Chue (Image Credit: Dave Chue)I bet it wasn’t a smooth journey developing SaySelfiee. Could you share the challenges you faced during the process?

I’ll be frank, the challenges were numerous. And they caught me off-guard.

First, it was my parents. They heavily objected to my decision to be an App-entrepreneur. You see, my parents are traditional thinkers. They strongly value job security over entrepreneurship. During the first few weeks, it was just discussion after discussion. In the end, I finally won them over to realise that the route as an App-entrepreneur was worth pursuing.

Despite majoring in Chemical Engineering and taking one or two modules on programming, my knowledge is still terribly lacking. The learning curve for xcoding is steep and I spent countless nights putting my thinking cap on.

To make matters worse, I was broke. I had less than a $1,000 in my bank account, so hiring a developer wasn’t possible. I had to work smart and be resourceful. Whenever I hit a roadblock in programming, I consulted my college professors. I also seek expertise from offshore developers for guidance on the more complex codings.

Fortunately, after months of hustling, I finally got a working version of SaySelfiee.

I went to look for real users. The moment I had the prototype ready, I headed to numerous entrepreneur networking events to pitch and introduce SaySelfiee to the attendees.

I went to events hosted by Plug-In@Blk 71, NTU and NUS Entrepreneurship Societies, and Junior World Entrepreneurship Forum just to name a few. In these events, I showcased my app to as many people as possible.

All these networking and feedback sessions paid off as I met with experienced developers who gave really good advice on my app.

What was it like working under Starhub’s entrepreneurship programme?

Thanks to Teo Keng Pheng of Starhub, I was part of the pioneer batch to showcase their projects under Starhub’s Crowdtivate. I was invited to a press event organised by Starhub and was given the opportunity to pitch SaySelfiee to the masses.

Through their entrepreneurship programme, I was given valuable mentorship on how to improve SaySelfiee. I was also given access to tools and networks to accelerate the development of the selfie app.

Image Credit: SaySelfiee

Did you ever dreamt of developing an app like SaySelfiee when you were a kid?

Nope. I thought I’d be working in a cubicle! But, I’ve always had a passion for building things that add value and fun to people’s lives.

Do you have any plans in developing other apps in the future?

I’m currently focusing on one goal, and that it is to continue improving SaySelfiee. I’m aiming it to be the ultimate app for all selfie lovers. My dream is that one day, when everyone thinks of taking a selfie, they’d immediately whip out my app and say “SAYSELFIEE!”

How would you describe SaySelfiee in one word?

Grit.

SaySelfiee would not be on the app store without grit and perseverance. And I hope my efforts have made this the best selfie app yet. I want it to be the app that lets you take all the crazy selfie shots that you’ve always wanted — with ease and style!

Dave has shared that there will be exciting updates happening in the next few days. He’s currently looking for feedbacks on SaySelfiee, so be sure to download the app and let him know what you think! Better act fast, as it’s only free for a limited time!